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BILL NUMBER:S3629A

TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the general business law and the penal law, in relation to establishing a statewide database to maintain and track coded ammunition and establishing penalties for individuals who violate such provisions; to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the ammunition coding system database fund; and to amend the tax law, in relation to establishing a tax credit for manufacturers or dealers who exchange old uncoded ammunition for new coded ammunition

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To establish a statewide database to track coded ammunition manufactured and sold for handguns and assault rifles.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section 1 - Legislative Findings.

Section 2 - The General Business law is amended by adding a new section 396-gg. This section establishes the ammunition coding system database. The New York State police is responsible for establishing and maintaining an ammunition coding system database containing information from the following: the manufacturing registry for coding ammunition and the vender registry for tracking individuals who purchase firearms with these codes. The ammunition coding system will be reserved for key law enforcement personnel and will be released only in connection with a criminal investigation. The cost of maintaining the dataset shall be funded by the ammunition coding system database fund established pursuant to section ninety-one-h of the state finance law. Vendors shall charge an additional $.005 per bullet or round of ammunition to the purchaser. Such moneys shall be deposited into the fund. Fines will be leveled against any manufacturer or vendor due to non-compliance.

The penal law is amended by adding a new section 265.45 which would make unlawful sale or possession of uncoded ammunition a Class A misdemeanor.

The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 91-h creating the joint custody of the comptroller and the commissioner of taxation and finance, a fund to be known as the ammunition coding system database.

Section 210 of the tax law is amended by adding a new subdivision 41 to provide a credit exchange for uncoded ammunition.

JUSTIFICATION: Each year in the United States, more than 30% of all homicides that involve a gun go unsolved. Current technology for matching a bullet used in a crime to the gun that fired it has worked moderately well for years, but presupposes that the weapon was recovered by law enforcement. This legislation would establish the Ammunition Accountability Act,

which would give law enforcement a new and effective way to quickly identify persons of interest in gun crime investigations.

This bill would require all handgun and assault weapon ammunition manufactured or sold in the state to be coded by the manufacturer. Manufacturers and vendors would be required to maintain data on each weapon and the ammunition. Access to the database would be reserved for key law enforcement personnel and to be released only in connection with a criminal investigation. Any vendor or manufacturer that fails to comply with the provisions of this law would be fined based on the number of violations. The database will be funded at an estimated $.005 per bullet sold.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.

Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3629--A
2011-2012 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 28, 2011
___________

Introduced by Sen. ADAMS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection --
recommitted to the Committee on Consumer Protection in accordance with
Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the general business law and the penal law, in relation
to establishing a statewide database to maintain and track coded ammu-
nition and establishing penalties for individuals who violate such
provisions; to amend the state finance law, in relation to establish-
ing the ammunition coding system database fund; and to amend the tax
law, in relation to establishing a tax credit for manufacturers or
dealers who exchange old uncoded ammunition for new coded ammunition
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature hereby finds that
each year in the United States more than thirty percent of all homicides
involving a gun go unsolved. Handgun ammunition accounts for approxi-
mately eighty percent of all ammunition sold within the United States.
Current technology for matching a bullet used in a crime to the gun that
fired it has worked moderately well for years, but presupposes that the
weapon was recovered by law enforcement. Ammunition coding is a new and
effective way for law enforcement to quickly identify persons of inter-
est in gun crime investigations.
S 2. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 396-
gg to read as follows:
S 396-GG. AMMUNITION CODING SYSTEM DATABASE. 1. THE NEW YORK STATE
POLICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING AN AMMUNITION
CODING SYSTEM DATABASE CONTAINING INFORMATION FROM THE FOLLOWING:
A. THE MANUFACTURER REGISTRY. (I) EVERY MANUFACTURER SHALL REGISTER
WITH THE NEW YORK STATE POLICE IN A MANNER PRESCRIBED BY THE NEW YORK
STATE POLICE, AND SHALL MAINTAIN RECORDS ON THE BUSINESS PREMISES FOR A

EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07540-02-1

S. 3629--A 2

PERIOD OF SEVEN YEARS CONCERNING ALL SALES, LOANS, AND TRANSFERS OF
AMMUNITION TO, FROM, OR WITHIN THE STATE.
(II) EVERY MANUFACTURER SHALL CODE ANY AMMUNITION FOR HANDGUNS AND
ASSAULT WEAPONS SOLD OR MANUFACTURED AFTER JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND
THIRTEEN.
B. THE VENDOR REGISTRY. EVERY VENDOR OF AMMUNITION SHALL REGISTER WITH
THE NEW YORK STATE POLICE IN A MANNER PRESCRIBED BY THE NEW YORK STATE
POLICE, AND SHALL RECORD THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN A FORMAT
PRESCRIBED BY THE NEW YORK STATE POLICE:
(I) THE DATE OF THE TRANSACTION;
(II) THE NAME OF THE TRANSFEREE;
(III) THE PURCHASER'S DRIVER'S LICENSE NUMBER OR OTHER GOVERNMENT
ISSUED IDENTIFICATION CARD NUMBER;
(IV) THE DATE OF BIRTH OF THE PURCHASER;
(V) THE UNIQUE IDENTIFIER OF ALL HANDGUN AMMUNITION OR BULLETS TRANS-
FERRED;
(VI) THE CALIBER OF THE BULLET; AND
(VII) ANY OTHER INFORMATION DETERMINED NECESSARY BY THE NEW YORK STATE
POLICE.
EVERY VENDOR SHALL MAINTAIN THESE RECORDS ON THEIR PREMISES FOR A
PERIOD OF AT LEAST THREE YEARS FROM THE DATE OF THE RECORDED PURCHASE.
2. TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE OR PRACTICAL, THE AMMUNITION CODING
SYSTEM DATABASE SHALL BE BUILT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EXISTING FIREARMS
DATABASES. THE AMMUNITION CODING SYSTEM DATABASE SHALL BE OPERATIONAL NO
LATER THAN JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN.
3. PRIVACY OF INDIVIDUALS IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE. ACCESS TO
INFORMATION IN THE AMMUNITION CODING SYSTEM DATABASE IS RESERVED FOR KEY
LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL AND TO BE RELEASED ONLY IN CONNECTION WITH A
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
4. THE COST OF MAINTAINING THE DATABASE SHALL BE FUNDED BY THE AMMUNI-
TION CODING SYSTEM DATABASE FUND ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION NINE-
TY-ONE-H OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW. VENDORS SHALL CHARGE AN ADDITIONAL
$.005 PER BULLET OR ROUND OF AMMUNITION TO THE PURCHASER. SUCH MONEYS
SHALL BE DEPOSITED INTO THE FUND.
5. ANY PERSON IN POSSESSION OF NON-CODED AMMUNITION MUST DISPOSE OF
SUCH AMMUNITION NO LATER THAN JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN.
6. ANY PERSON WITH A VALID HUNTING LICENSE SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM THIS
SECTION, FOR A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS COMMENCING THREE YEARS FROM THE
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
7. A. ANY MANUFACTURER THAT WILLFULLY FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A FINE OF UP TO ONE THOU-
SAND DOLLARS FOR A FIRST OFFENSE; A FINE OF UP TO FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS
FOR A SECOND OFFENSE; AND A FINE OF UP TO TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A
THIRD AND EACH SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE.
B. ANY VENDOR THAT WILLFULLY FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF
THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A FINE OF UP TO ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS
FOR A FIRST OFFENSE; A FINE OF UP TO TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A SECOND
OFFENSE; AND A FINE OF UP TO FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A THIRD AND EACH
SUBSEQUENT OFFENSE. IN ADDITION TO ANY FINE IMPOSED PURSUANT TO THIS
SECTION, A VENDOR MAY BE SUBJECT TO A TERM OF IMPRISONMENT OF LESS THAN
ONE YEAR FOR EACH VIOLATION.
8. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "CODED AMMUNITION" MEANS A BULLET
CARRYING A UNIQUE IDENTIFIER THAT HAS BEEN APPLIED BY ETCHING ONTO THE
BASE OF THE BULLET PROJECTILE.
S 3. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 265.45 to read
as follows:

S. 3629--A 3

S 265.45 UNLAWFUL SALE OR POSSESSION OF UNCODED AMMUNITION.
A PERSON IS GUILTY OF UNLAWFUL SALE OR POSSESSION OF UNCODED AMMUNI-
TION WHEN HE OR SHE:
1. SELLS ANY AMMUNITION THAT HAS NOT BEEN CODED PURSUANT TO SECTION
THREE HUNDRED NINETY-SIX-GG OF THE GENERAL BUSINESS LAW; OR
2. POSSESSES ANY AMMUNITION THAT IS UNCODED, OR THE CODE OF WHICH HAS
BEEN RENDERED UNREADABLE, EXCEPT IF SUCH POSSESSION IS WITHIN THREE
YEARS FROM THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION AND THE PERSON HAS A VALID
HUNTING LICENSE; OR
3. POSSESSES ONE HUNDRED ROUNDS OR MORE OF AMMUNITION THAT IS UNCODED,
OR THE CODE OF WHICH HAS BEEN RENDERED UNREADABLE, DOES NOT HAVE A VALID
HUNTING LICENSE, AND SUCH POSSESSION TAKES PLACE AT LEAST ONE YEAR AFTER
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
UNLAWFUL SALE OR POSSESSION OF UNCODED AMMUNITION IS A CLASS A MISDE-
MEANOR.
S 4. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 91-h to
read as follows:
S 91-H. AMMUNITION CODING SYSTEM DATABASE FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY
CREATED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF
TAXATION AND FINANCE, A FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE AMMUNITION CODING SYSTEM
DATABASE FUND.
2. THE FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL MONEYS COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SECTION
THREE HUNDRED NINETY-SIX-GG OF THE GENERAL BUSINESS LAW, OR ANY OTHER
MONEY APPROPRIATED TO THE FUND BY LAW.
3. THE MONEYS OF THE FUND SHALL BE USED TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN THE
AMMUNITION CODING SYSTEM DATABASE CREATED PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE
HUNDRED NINETY-SIX-GG OF THE GENERAL BUSINESS LAW.
4. MONEYS SHALL BE PAYABLE FROM THE FUND ON THE AUDIT AND WARRANT OF
THE STATE COMPTROLLER ON VOUCHERS APPROVED AND CERTIFIED BY THE SUPER-
INTENDENT OF THE NEW YORK STATE POLICE.
S 5. Section 210 of the tax law is amended by adding a new subdivi-
sion 45 to read as follows:
45. CREDIT FOR EXCHANGE OF UNCODED AMMUNITION. (A) ALLOWANCE OF CRED-
IT. A TAXPAYER SHALL BE ALLOWED A CREDIT, TO BE COMPUTED AS HEREINAFTER
PROVIDED, AGAINST THE TAX IMPOSED BY THIS ARTICLE, WHERE THE TAXPAYER IS
AN AMMUNITION MANUFACTURER OR DEALER AND ACCEPTS OLD UNCODED AMMUNITION
IN EXCHANGE FOR NEW CODED AMMUNITION.
(B) AMOUNT OF CREDIT. THE CREDIT ALLOWED IN THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE
EQUAL TO THE COST TO THE TAXPAYER FOR PROVIDING NEW CODED AMMUNITION IN
EXCHANGE FOR OLD UNCODED AMMUNITION, IN AN AMOUNT UP TO THREE HUNDRED
THOUSAND DOLLARS.
S 6. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.

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